OUR CREW

We are a team that believes in the hustle over the hype, that it’s just as important to be humble as it is to be hungry, that America is its most beautiful and prosperous when we utilize the contributions of all people. Our team works out of our headquarters in New Orleans when we're not traveling around the country or hosting Summits.

The Camelback Team

Aaron Walker

FOUNDER & CEO

Aaron is on a journey to live in the spirit of his baseball hero, Jackie Robinson, who said “a life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.” With this ethos, Aaron taught ninth grade English in West Philadelphia, put together deals for companies large and small as a lawyer, and supported new ideas to improve education as a portfolio director for the NYC Fund for Public Schools. Aaron is humbled to say that he graduated from the University of Virginia and Penn Law School. He also knows that this doesn’t entitle him to anything and is ready to earn his keep.

Elizabeth Bates

director of venture excellence

Elizabeth was born with entrepreneurship in her blood, having started her first business in middle school (which provided more disposable income than her allowance). She escaped Wisconsin winters to attend Loyola University New Orleans, where she earned her degree in Marketing. A founder three times, she built a residential services company which she sold five years later. She then started two e-commerce businesses, one of which continues to keep her skills sharp as a side hustle.

When she is not nerding out on startups and social impact, Elizabeth is probably gushing over her rescue dog, Riley, and working to promote animal welfare.

Amanda Tien

DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE AND MARKETING

Amanda’s favorite movie is Stranger Than Fiction, partially because of a surprisingly heartfelt scene of sad Will Ferrell eating chocolate chip cookies but mostly because it is a story about storytelling. Growing up as a military brat, Amanda read voraciously to keep herself occupied on long drives. She fell in love with the grace and strength of narratives as a way to connect with new people and places. Amanda pursues this passion at Camelback where she runs all things communications from being brand guru and creating swag to leading and implementing marketing strategy to curating and creating content (like our blog posts featuring Fellows and our manifesto, Ruthless for Good). She graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Creative Writing where she co-founded a culinary arts magazine. She has worked in a variety of fields including book publishing, film and television, advertising, and education. In her free time, Amanda enjoys improv, dumplings, and excuses to have celebratory dinners.

Jon Losey

director of insights & strategy

Jon has an inquisitive mind. His quest to learn has taken him from questions around roasting a great cup of coffee to those that improve the experience and impact for Camelback’s fellows. His addition to Camelback has fostered the 'Camelytics' department where data and experiments help to inform the way that our fellows experience and succeed with their entrepreneurial journeys. Jon is a graduate from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance where he focused on nonprofit management. His career has spanned corporate finance, digital analytics, research and evaluation, and service in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. His ultimate goal is to create an evaluation system around KPIs (key pun indicators) to determine levels of pun effectiveness.

Mimie Laurant

program manager

Mimie's favorite animal is a unicorn, because where there are unicorns the impossible becomes attainable. Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, Mimie has had a life that has seemed impossible given her humble beginnings. Having grown up as a diplobrat on the continents of Africa and Europe, a strong sense of leadership and service was fostered as she became an active member of her different school communities. Louisiana has a way of not letting its people go, leading Mimie to attend Louisiana State University, where she graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She worked and volunteered at various nonprofits in Baton Rouge before becoming a certified teacher and returning to teach in New Orleans. After earning her Master's in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, Mimie knew that she wanted to move into an arena where she could bring her expertise to support broader educational innovation and social entrepreneurship. When not creating magical moments with Camelback, Mimie loves reading, live music, and preparing for Mardi Gras.